Pharaoh’s Island in Egypt.
Pharaoh’s Island is the name of an islet located north of the Gulf of Aqaba, on the eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.
it called The picturesque Pharaoh’s Island because it was first occupied during the reign of Ramses III, was also called “Coral Island”.
It is located in the Red Sea, in the northwest corner of the Gulf of Aqaba, 11 km south of Eilat, near the eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula.
Very small in size (approximately 300 m long and 100 m wide), it is formed by two large rocks that protrude some twenty meters above sea level, interconnected by a third rock, which is smaller than the previous two.
Surrounded by fabulous reefs, Pharaoh’s Island (known as Coral Island by Israelis) is very popular with divers. The island is just 250 m (820 ft) from the shore, close to the border with Israel, and boats leave from the Salah ad-Din Hotel on the coastal road opposite the island.
Worth exploring is the restored ruins of a 12th-century Crusader castle, strategically placed to ensure the safety of pilgrims to the Holy Land. The castle was captured by Salah ad-Din in 1170 and used as an Arab stronghold against the Crusaders until 1183 when it was eventually abandoned.
Meet the castle of Saladin on Pharaoh’s Island in Taba
Moreover, the citadel of Saladin has a spectacular view of four of the most important countries: Egypt, occupied Palestine, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, Surrounded by blue, clean and calm water from all sides.
Also, its located in the narrowest point in the Gulf of Aqaba can be easily defended, in addition to being Covetous by the invaders before the coming of the Crusaders until now, the construction of the castle dates back to Baldwin I, who was King of Jerusalem in 1116 AD, who built this castle and choose its distinctive location which in a vast commercial road between the Far East and Europe, because it is located on a high ground, During the period of the Crusaders, this fortress was used to collect taxes from Arab merchants to attack Arab ships, as well as to protect pilgrims traveling between Jerusalem and the monastery of St. Catherine.
The Pharaoh’s island today
The tourist interest of the island itself is very limited, compared to the many archaeological sites of cultural attraction that Egypt offers as a whole. However, its immediate surroundings are attractive, especially for lovers of diving and observation of aquatic fauna, including the Picasso crossbow fish, or coral reefs.
Because around the island, you can see remains of foundations from the Hellenistic and Byzantine periods show that the Pharaoh’s Island was a very frequented route. The other advantage of this tour is the possibility of diving or snorkeling away from the crowds in transparent waters. Or just swimming and relaxing. ”
An example was given by one Thomas Edward Lawrence, later known as Lawrence of Arabia During an intelligence mission on the Sinai Peninsula in 1914, he asked for permission to visit the island and its ruins. After having built a makeshift raft to the island, with his Bedouin guide recounting this episode, “Lawrence seems to have been fascinated by the adventure of the episode as well as by the evocative ruins of the island itself.
Restoration work on the Pharaoh’s Island
The trying of the Egyptian tourism authorities to promote to Pharaoh’s Island, However, the ruins in question lead us to a story of a rich past evoked in very broad strokes. This is what the Egyptian tourism authorities are trying to promote, through the restoration work recently carried out on the Citadel, as well as a proposal submitted to UNESCO, for its inscription on the World Heritage List.
Compared to the Citadel of Cairo, this island, although adorned with the aura also of Salah el-Din is “minuscule”. But this “tourist pearl in Sinai,” and “architectural jewel.
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